Bicycle.Punk Rock.Action

No Coasting on the Viet Nam Coast...

Xin Chao,
Since I can only update once a week or so, I apologize for the truancy. Here's a brief recount of where we've been, what we've been up to:
From Saigon we took a 17 hour train ride to Hue, along the central coast of Viet Nam. Spent 3 days in Hoi An, a beautiful, cultural city with great art galleries and restaurants. Left Hoi An last Monday, 7 April. Lots of saddle time, I promise you.
6 consecutive days, 550 km, 3 mountain passes, HEAT,
Murder City Headwinds everyday, and suddenly we find
ourselves in Nha Trang. The guidebooks say this is the
place to hang in Viet Nam, but we've seen some rather
tranquil, quiet, deserted beaches on this stretch that
would have me arguing that statement, (and if you ask
nicely, I may even tell you where they are.)
Rolling out of Hoi An on Monday morning was
bittersweet, as it truly has the mellow qualities that
we were looking for, and as Mac sez, it's a tourist
town "done right." But roll out we did, thru lush
fields and villages before rejoining National Highway
1 and 130 km to Quang Ngai. Thankfully, it was a
mostly flat route, and when we arrived in Q. Ngai, we
saluted our own solid effort with cold Saigon bia at
the Mimosa Cafe.
Day 2, Quang Ngai to Sa Huynh was "just" 66 km, but
the route was a barrage of roadworks and more mad
headwinds, and finished with a slight climb to Sa
Huynh Hotel which Lonely Planet called "sad and
sorry." Well someone must have pissed in LP's
porridge, because aside from our half-missing, cracked
toilet seat, so that you had to sit on a jagged
crescent moon, or the fact that we didn't have running
water in our room until several hours after checking
in, we had no complaints having the deserted, white
sand beach to ourselves, and cooled off from the ride
by bodysurfing in the South China Sea.
Sa Huynh - Qui Nhon
100k of fun. I saw a two chickens doggin' a dog,
pecking at his head. Qui Nhon supposedly has rude,
unfriendly locals but we found a hotel right off the
highway that was decent, and when I asked for a "bia
lanh" (cold beer) I was hustled across the street to
another hotel where I thought the beer was. But all of
a sudden I was being shown more rooms. I thought
perhaps they were splitting us up into separate rooms,
but apparently the first hotel didn't have beer and so
we wheeled across the street where the owners served
us cold Saigon bia, and cooked us fried rice with
vegetables. My plate also had some meat on it, which I
didn't eat much of; pork, chicken, and a suspicious
looking oval piece, which I'm convinced was a
testicle...
Qui Nhon - Tuy Hoa
103k
GOD DAMN HEADWINDS continue. Mornings are certainly
our favorite time to ride, but the heat is still
oppressive by 7:30. More climbing today over Cu Mong
Pass, not as difficult as Hai Van, but still enough to
make the lungs shake and wheeze. At the top, a truck
driver washing his truck gave us a spray from his
hose. The scenery today very lush, and green, and
after being slightly inland the last two days, we're
back along the coast near Song Cau. Stopped for lunch
and then immediately had another lovely climb to
contend with. Not too steep, but roadworks going on
meant only one lane open, and a hot, greasy,
tar-covered one at that, which when we tried to ride
felt like molasses. Another road worker gave us a
quick push as we rode past in blast furnace heat. The
final 30km into Tuy Hoa had a distinct lack of nuoc
mia (sugar cane) vendors and we really wanted bia
anyway so it was straight away to a joint advertising
Bia Toi Saigon, for a pitcher for 10,000 vnd, and a
visit with the locals.
Tuy Hoa -Doc Let Beach
103k
Headwinds, Heat, Sweat, the bottom of our feet and
bums feel as though someone has been repeatedly
smashing them with 2x4's. Another huge climb and long
stretches with no trees. Throw in a sagauro cactus and
I'd swear I was riding through Arizona. 35km from Nha
Trang we sidetracked off of Hghway 1 for 16km to Doc
Let Beach. We expected to find a quiet beach and
bungalows for $7; instead we found Doc Let Resort,
fully occupied by executives from Hyundai. No way do
we want to return the 16km to the main road, + 33k
into Nha Trang, and on second look, the reception
informs us that she will have just one room available
for $10, "at 5 o'clock." Park the bikes, hit the
beach, and get tubed in the swells...
Doc Let - Nha Trang.
50k
You could say that today was a short ride, but you'd
be dead wrong. Still oppressively hot, and the final
push into Nha Trang is a 3.5km STEEP climb, but the
twisting descent was pretty groovy and here we are.
Having a day off the bikes feels exquisite, and look
over there, across the street at Crazy Kim's Bar:
Happy Hour began at 10 a.m.....
cheers,
Hurl & Mac
=====
Hurl Everstone
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